Reunions
by PokePotterfan93
Summary: Rose Weasley always knew that her father was not her birth father. She now has the chance to meet her birth father, who hasn't been seen by her parents in years.
1. Reunions

_**Local Chef wins award!**_

 _Harry James Potter (35), has won yet another award for his award winning restaurant Lily's Love, which is located in Little Whinging, Surrey. Harry Potter, who is a student of the French Culinary Institute, a world renowned culinary school has been a restaurant owner since the age of 22._

 _Potter, who prefers to cook foods that would be considered non-traditional compared to the teachings of his classical training have been a huge hit with diners since his doors first opened in early '03. Lily's Love, which is named after deceased mother, has won the prestigious Golden Spatula Award, a Surrey local award for the local Gastro eateries._

 _Though he declined to comment, Mr Potter's Sous Chef said that the owner and head chef had e been touched by the award. The chef, whose home life had been famous for its ups and downs has been a member of Surrey's culinary fame for years now. His charity work to the local homeless and prevention of child abuse foundations have really touched the locals, who refer to Mr. Potter as the 'Golden Heart of Surrey'. His restaurant is expected to be packed out for the next two weeks, as current reservations are available for the end of the month._

Hermione frowned as she glanced at the paper. The Whinging Whippet was a local newspaper for Surrey. The reason the middle aged witch had it however, was to track down her ex-boyfriend. She and Harry had dated when they returned for their last year of school. Their dating life was short lived however, after Harry caught her in bed with their best friend, Ron Weasley.

It had been a moment of weakness on her part, and one that she regretted greatly. Harry had walked away from her after that, cutting all contact with her and Ron. He'd pop by the Burrow, as long as Molly ensured that she and Ron weren't around. She closed the newspaper, sighing as she sat in the small cafe across from Lily's Love. She didn't want Ronald to come with her. Though she loved her husband immensely, it didn't seem fair to Harry to drop such a bombshell with him there. Plus, he would've probably punched her husband in the face.

She had called the restaurant, explaining that she needed to talk to Harry and that she was in the cafe across the street. She didn't expect him to come, but when he did walk over to her, she was amazed. He hadn't changed much. He had either gotten laser eye surgery or contact lenses, since he was without his signature glasses. He had put on a little weight, but for his frame it seemed to suit him. She noticed he wasn't smiling, though that was to be expected. "Harry. Thank you for coming…"

Harry sat across from her, ordering himself a coffee. "What do you want, Granger?"

"It's Weasley now, actually." Hermione whispered, playing with her wedding ring.

"Is he here?" He asked bluntly, clenching his fist. He wasn't usually a violent man, but right now, he really wanted to smash a certain ginger's head in.

"No. He's at work." She avoided his eyes. "I wanted you to know…" She sighed. She didn't know where to begin. "Harry, do you remember when..? When you caught us?"

Harry nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Vividly." He said simply, ordering a biscotti and an eclair. His sweet tooth really started up once he finished a long shift. And he had been up all night cooking a slow roasted pulled pork for the mains. "What's this about, Granger?"

Hermione frowned. "Can you please just call me Hermione? We were close, Harry. And I cannot apologise enough. I should've had the decency to break things off first."

Harry bit the inside of his cheek. "What's this about?" He asked again.

Hermione sighed. "A month or so after that, I found out I was pregnant." She explained, sipping on a cup of tea. "Ron and I had the baby, and when she was born…we knew she wasn't a Weasley." She took out a picture. "You've a daughter, Harry. I don't mind taking a paternity test to proof it to you."

Harry took the picture, carefully examining every part of it. It was a recent photograph by the look of it. The girl had her arms around a redheaded child that could've been Ron and Hermione's son. She had black hair and soft brown eyes. Her cheekbones held a dignified look, while her chin and bone structure screamed aristocrat. The back of the picture read 'Rose and Hugo, Christmas '14' which meant it was only about three months old. "Ok. I'm guessing there's a reason you waited nearly sixteen years to tell me this. What do you want?"

Hermione frowned. He truly seemed to hate her. "Rose has expressed an interest in meeting her birth father." She sighed. "I had to explain the situation that happened between the three of us and she became upset at me. She's beginning to understand now, but she's adamant about meeting you."

Harry stared at the picture again, and couldn't stop the smile from coming to his face. "I've a table set aside for family to use whenever they need it. Bring her by tonight." He took a deep breath. "I want _**him**_ there too." He handed her back the picture.

"Ok." Hermione placed the picture back in her purse. "Just, no violence. Don't let her first impression of you be someone who's blinded by anger. Let her see the man I fell in love with."

"I don't think you ever really loved that man, Hermione." Harry said softly. "If you did, I wouldn't have found you on top of my best friend."

Hermione closed her eyes. "I told you…I'm sorry about that."

 **0o0o0**

Rose placed her 'good dress' on for the dinner. She only ever wore it at weddings and other family gatherings. She fixed her hair down, which was the only way she liked to wear it. She couldn't believe she was finally going to meet Harry. True, she loved her mother and father with all her heart, but she wanted to know who helped bring her into the world. Her mother had returned in an upset state, telling her father that Harry still had the same attitude about them. Her heart broke until she was told that Harry had wanted to meet her too.

She put her shoes on, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Hugo, Mum said you've to get ready." She said to her baby brother. The six year old didn't seem to comprehend her request, since he just sat on her bed.

"Mummy said we're going to meet your Daddy tonight." He said, his voice unusually soft. "Does that mean you're going to live with him..?" He asked worriedly.

Rose stopped what she was doing. How could he think that? "Hugo…" She knelt down beside him. "Of course not, sweetheart. I just want to meet him." She whispered softly, giving him a hug. "Why would I move out?"

"Melinda from my school. Her brother went to live with his Daddy because he was sick of her…" Hugo held onto her.

"Hugo." Rose kissed his forehead. "I'm not leaving. You're stuck with me until September, then I've to go back to Hogwarts."

Hermione watched her two kids from the door, smiling gently. Rose had such a gentle soul, just like her father did. She hoped the night would go right for them. "Are you two ready?"

Rose nodded, smiling at her mother. "I am. Hugo here needs to put on fresh socks." She smirked. "Those ones smell worse than Dad's last attempt at cooking pasta."

Hermione grimaced. "Nothing could smell worse than that." She said softly, bringing her son to get changed.

Once Hugo was changed, the four of them disapparated to the alleyway close to the restaurant, taking the small walk to the place. Hermione couldn't believe the difference before her eyes. Unlike the afternoon, the evening seemed to have a line out the door. She walked into the restaurant with her family, approaching the waitress. "Excuse me, I believe there's a reservation for four under either the name of Granger or Weasley."

The waitress scanned the bookings for the night. "Hermione Granger, two kids and two adults?" She asked softly.

Hermione nodded. "That would be it." She should've known that Harry would've used her maiden name for the reservation. He was still the same after all.

Once they were seated, Harry appeared from the kitchens after a minute. He was wearing a nice casual suit jacket and pants combo. He approached them, smiling at the teenager. "Hello Rose." He said softly. "It's nice to meet you."

Rose stared at the man for a moment. "I-It's a pleasure to meet you too, Harry." She said nervously. It was a funny sight for Hermione and Ron. Their usually confident daughter had seemed to become tongue tied at the sight of her birth father.

Harry gave her a small hug, staring at Ron. "Ronald." He said blandly.

Ron looked up at him. "Hi Harry. It's um, it's good to see you." He said softly, avoiding his eyes. "Hugo, this is Harry Potter. He's an old friend of your Mum and I."

Harry wanted to correct him, but the young boy was just staring at him in awe. "Hello Hugo. Would you like a colouring book and some crayons?"

The young boy nodded at the man, hiding his face in Ron's shirt. Hugo had heard loads about Harry Potter. He had defeated the evil man who tried to hurt his family. His nana spoke highly of him, so he had to be a nice man.

Harry called a waitress over, asking her for the things to occupy the boy. He sat down in the centre of the table. "I'd recommend the lasagna." He said to Ron. He knew his ex-friend was a huge fan of foreign cuisine.

Rose took a look at his menu. "Wow, you really have a weird menu. I've never heard of half of these dishes." She said excitedly.

Harry smiled at her. "I spent a year abroad, learning some classic dishes from Italy, France, Germany and Holland before coming back here and combining them with some American and British dishes."

Hermione noticed one certain thing on the menu. "You do coddle?" She asked softly. Her grandmother had been a Dublin woman, and as such the dish was something she prided herself on. Coddle was a Dublin dish, almost a peasant's dish. The country's Catholic influence meant most lower class families ate the dish on a Thursday. "What's in it?"

"Rashers, sausages, onion, carrot, potatoes, some pork meatballs and a little mariana sauce to give it a colour and rich taste." Harry said softly. "I stole your grandmother's recipe and tweaked it a little." He admitted.

Hermione nodded, smiling weakly. Her grandmother had met Harry a couple of times once the war had ended. She had been disappointed when she had heard of their breakup. "I think I know what I'm ordering then." She whispered.

Rose bit her lip. "Any good samplers?" She asked curiously.

Harry nodded. "I'd recommend the World Sampler. It has a little bit of everything." He chuckled. "Though some people find it a little intimidating, since some of the dishes are unique."

Rose nodded. "I'll have the World Sampler." She said softly.

Ron glanced at the menu. "Shepherd's Pie with mushy peas."

Hermione glanced at the kid's menu. "Chicken fingers with the homemade chips for Hugo." She watched the boy colour.

Harry handed their orders to the waitress, sitting back down. "So, what house are you in?" He asked curiously.

"I'm in Ravenclaw." Rose said softly, staring at her birth father. "I'm starting my sixth year in September, and I'm hoping to be made Quidditch Captain."

Harry smirked to himself. "What about a Prefect?" He inquired.

"Oh god no!" Rose shook her head. "Who in Merlin's name wants to be a bloody Prefect?" She looked horrified at the idea.

Harry chuckled. "I don't know, maybe those two." He pointed at Hermione and Ron. "Only one of them actually done any work though." He smirked.

Ron's ears turned slightly red. "Well, hard to work when someone we knew kept getting into severe trouble." He chuckled.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah." He took a deep breath. "So, when did you two tie the knot?" He asked.

"2003." Ron said softly. "The same day you opened this place, actually." He bit the inside of his cheek. He had invited Harry to the wedding, and gotten a letter containing two words. Fuck. You. He didn't show the letter to Hermione, instead he just told her that he didn't invite him so their day wouldn't be ruined.

Harry chuckled. "Funny how things work like that, isn't it?" He didn't want to start a scene, but it was obvious that Ron wanted blood too. "You were probably a pretty flower girl, right Rose?" He asked.

Hermione snorted. "No. She immediately jumped into a pile of mud when she got the chance. I lost count on the amount of times I had to Scourgify her dress."

Rose blushed a little at the memory. "I told you, I do not like pink." She said softly.

Harry smiled. "So, what subjects are you taking for your sixth year?" He asked.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Alchemy and Potions." Rose said softly. "Alchemy's my expertise though."

Harry grinned a little. "Really? Your mother and I were actually able to save Nicolas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone when we were kids." He said softly.

"Yeah. Dad helped too, didn't he?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah. To some degree." Harry shrugged.

Rose frowned a little. "I know what happened, Harry. But that was in the past." She whispered softly. "If history has taught me one thing, it's that people need to forgive in certain situations." She was glad Hugo was occupied with his colouring. "What they did to you was truly awful, but you were the one who walked out of their lives." She said softly. "You've avoided them for a long time, Harry. And in the process of doing so, you've missed out on my life, and I'm sure on a lot of other peoples too…" She played nervously with her hands. "I just wanted to meet my birth father. The man who vanquished the Dark Lord. The one who reunited the Hallows. Who learnt from the Prince. Who fought alongside the Order. The man who survived against the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Who freed the Prisoner. Who found the Chamber. Who saved the Stone." She felt his hand gently take hers. "I wanted to meet the man who helped bring me into the world, not someone who stews in anger…"

Harry gave her another hug. "I'm sorry sweetheart. Sometimes the past just doesn't allow someone to forgive so easily." He kissed her forehead, feeling disgusted with himself.

Rose held onto him for a moment, nodding slightly. "So, are you married?"

"I'm widowed actually." Harry smiled sadly.

Hermione felt her heart break. "Harry…I never knew you got married." She whispered.

Harry ordered some wine, something he really wished he had done earlier. "It was six years ago when she passed away. I met her when I was abroad. We were both orphans, so we found ourselves falling in love of the course of the year." He poured wine for everyone, except Hugo and Rose. "We were married when I opened the restaurant…then, the accident happened." He played with the wine glass. "We were driving home one night from a party. Neither of us had drank anything that night. Leslie was pregnant, and I wasn't that much of a drinker. We were halfway home when some idiot drunk driver rammed into us at 100mph. Leslie died instantly…I was in a coma for two weeks." He felt tears welling up. "I um, I missed her funeral. I was in a coma and never got to say goodbye." He smiled tearfully. "Guess it just wasn't meant to be."

Rose wasn't as emotionally strong as her father. She was already in tears when he finished. She hugged him tightly, feeling upset that she didn't know a thing about him. "That's so unfair…"

Hermione watched Harry comfort their daughter. It was obvious now why he hated them. While she and Ron raised a loving family and had loads of loving memories, Harry had lost his wife and unborn child while he was still young. All he had was the anger to hold on to. There was no happiness in his life. No one who loved him. No one who he could confide in. "Harry. I'm so sorry." She whispered softly, looking at Ron. She couldn't imagine her life without him.

Harry poured Rose a small glass of red wine, winking at her. He kept an arm around her, comforting her. "After that, I just put all my time and energy into the restaurant. Now I've more awards than I really want." He admitted. "It's a bit boring now to be honest. I opened this restaurant to be the best…now that I've done it, it's just boring as hell."

Rose thought for a moment. "Why don't you just sell it and build a new restaurant in Diagon Alley?" She asked curiously. "People would freak out to try some of your dishes." She said softly.

Harry chuckled. "I got away from that world for a reason, sweetheart." He shook his head. "I don't really have that many good memories of the Wizarding World."

Hermione frowned. "None? Really..?"

"I had loads, but they slowly became realisations that you and I weren't really meant to be." He explained. "That, and let's be honest, we had shit school years."

Hermione couldn't really argue with that. "You know something, we should really try and catch up more." She said softly. "I think Rose would love to have you around now."

Rose nodded. "It would be nice to have someone I can threaten to leave you guys for." She teased, stopping once she saw Hugo's lip quiver. "I'm joking, Hugo. You're stuck with me, ginger snap."

Harry looked at them. "I suppose I can give it a try, for Rose's sake of course."

Rose smiled at him for that. Anger was an awful thing for a man to hold onto. She smelt the good coming over, and took a large sniff of it. "Wow." She felt her mouth watering. "What exactly is in this Sampler?"

Harry smiled. "The European dishes are foie gras, escargot, meatballs and some bratwurst. The African continent stuff is mostly Ethiopian dishes and some from South African culture. The Asian components are just basic takeaway foods. The American stuff is small Philly cheese steaks, a Native American dish known as the 'three sisters' and Cincinnati chili."

Rose smacked her lips, grinning to herself. "Food coma, here I come!" She took a knife and fork, devouring the meal. "Did you train the chef who made this?"

Harry nodded slightly. "She's my niece through marriage. She's probably one of the best cooks I've ever met in my life." He smiled at her.

Hermione took a spoonful of the coddle, feeling memories flood to her. "It's exactly the same." She whispered softly, looking at him. "My mother can't even make this as authentically as you." She dipped some of the homemade bread into the broth.

Harry smiled. "Do you remember the first time she made it for us when we were together?" He chuckled. "She nearly smacked your dad's head off with that spoon for bitching about me being there."

Hermione laughed. "I keep telling ya, Daniel. If my Lizzie has said that he's a good lad, then he's a good lad." She recited her grandmother's words. "Thank you for the wreath. It was lovely." She whispered.

Harry shrugged. "Your grandmother was a lovely woman. I was sorry to hear that she passed." He sighed a little. "How about we go to mine after this? Have a chat in a more private setting."

Rose smiled. "I'd like that, Harry." She whispered.

Hermione nodded, watching Ron. "Just as long as you two meatheads play nice." She said sternly.

Ron turned to Harry. "I don't mind playing nice."

Harry nodded slightly. "Ok." He finished his wine.

"You didn't order anything." Rose had only noticed.

"Sweetheart. I work in this place for unsociable hours. I hate ordering food from this place." Harry laughed a little, heading out with them once they were all finished. It was a short walk to Harry's house. "Welcome to Casa de Potter." He chuckled, opening the door. "So, what is everyone's favourite drink?"

"I'll have a glass of red wine." Hermione smiled.

"Scotch, neat." Ron shrugged.

"Juice!" Hugo grinned.

Rose grinned slightly. "One measure of vodka with three ice cubes and exactly 100 ml of whatever lemon and lime mixer you keep around." She said in a haughty tone. "That is to say, soda please." She rolled her eyes at her mother's lack of humour.

Harry got everyone a drink, bringing them to the back garden. It was a nice night out, and the space heater made it possible to relax in the large garden. "Ignore Shadow. He's a little friendly." All of them raised an eyebrow, until a large husky moved closer to him. It was easily as big as Hugo when it was sitting down. The dog barked happily at Harry, jumping on the man. "Down boy!"

Rose ran up to the dog, burying her face in his fur. "Hello! Who's a good boy?" She asked, kissing the dog's fur. "You're a good boy!" She loved dogs. "He's so cuddly and cute!" She sat on the grass, rubbing the dog's soft fur.

"I've had him seven years now. He was a birthday present from Leslie." Harry explained, smiling at his daughter and the dog.

Hermione relaxed in the back garden. "Have you seen Teddy much?" She asked curiously.

"Not a lot. I see him on Christmases and his birthday, but other than that we kind of fell out of touch." He admitted, smiling sadly. "We had a huge fight a year or so ago about my problems with you and Ron."

Hermione sighed. "He's asleep. So say whatever you want to say." She said, pointing to a sleeping Hugo.

Harry chuckled. "I've rehearsed what'd I say a million times." He admitted. "But none of it matters now." He walked into the house, tossing something into her hand. "I was going to give you this that night."

Hermione's eyes watered instantly. She knew what it was. She opened the box slowly, stopping once she saw the ring. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, closing the box. She should've seen the signs back then. "I…I was going to tell you. Ron and I, we were just…Merlin we were just being teenagers."

Harry shrugged. "Yeah." He sighed, resting his head against the picket fence. "I was angry. Extremely angry. So I left. Well, that's not entirely true…" He chuckled weakly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"I may have…well that is to say…" Harry sipped his whiskey. "Ok. So I decided to have a little revenge." He chuckled weakly. "I slept with the Ice Bitches."

Hermione spit out her wine. "All of them?!"

Harry nodded. "It was a good night." He laughed. "I was angry. I wanted to hurt you. My original plan was to sleep with Ginny, but she would've loved it too much. Then I thought about breaking into McGonagall's office and changing all your records to fails."

Hermione frowned. "You absolute fucker!" She chuckled slightly.

Harry smirked. "Then, I ran into Parkinson. She and I got to talking, then insulting, then insulting you! Well, one thing led to another and I ended up sleeping with her, Greengrass and Davis." He shrugged again. "Then I just left Hogwarts. Moved into Privet Drive for a few days, shouted at Vernon and took a well deserved swing at the old bastard, then moved here."

Rose listened to him, still cuddling Shadow. "You slept with three women in one night?"

Harry nodded. "I was a bit of a stud in my day." He puffed out his chest.

"More like a puppy. Fun at first, then it starts whimpering all the time." Hermione winked.

"Coming from the queen of the shelves?" He asked. "Merlin I had to put a bed in the Library one time just to spend some time with you."

Hermione smirked. "I remember that weekend. I had a big Potions assignment due." She sighed. "We had good times, Harry."

Harry nodded a little. "We did." He smiled sadly. "Remember the weekend from hell?"

Hermione snorted. She had nearly forgotten about that one. She smirked a little, sipping her wine. Rose gave her a look, so she decided to explain. "Harry and I decided to have a romantic weekend away, it was before we were due to go back to school. We got a hotel room. Champagne. All the works." She let out an un-Hermione like giggle. "We were enjoying ourselves immensely, until there's a knock on the door."

Harry laughed. "Turns out that the hotel doubled booked us in the same room as an extremely irate couple on a cheap honeymoon." He took a sip of his drink. "So they're shouting at us, while I'm in boxers and your mother is topless." He noticed Hermione's blush. "Then, it turns out they were swingers, so they offer a couple switch for the night!"

Rose spit out her drink. "Really?!"

Harry nodded, wrapping his arm around her. "So once we get our new room, we find a goddamn newborn baby abandoned in the bathroom!"

Hermione shook her head. "We waited two hours for the police, then another three to give statements and stuff."

Harry smirked. "Then, we finally get a chance to be alone…until your grandmother calls." He chuckled. "Your grandfather had managed to fall off a ladder and bust his hip!"

Hermione laughed. "I forgot about that too. That was the first time I ever heard my mother curse." She held Hugo on her lap, stroking his hair as he slept. "That was a good weekend though."

Harry nodded, closing his eyes. "I forgive you." He said after a few minutes of pure silence. "I know you didn't do out of maliciousness." He whispered.

Hermione felt a tear come to her eye. "I…" She handed Hugo to Ron, hugging Harry gently. "I'm so sorry." She whispered softly, holding onto him.

Harry kissed her cheek, smiling softly. "Though I have to admit, you were so vanilla in bed." He teased, feeling her fist on his arm. "OW!"

Hermione smirked to herself. "You're an arse!" She said softly, kissing his forehead. "I did love you, Harry."

"I know." He smiled, staring at Ron. "Just not anymore." He whispered back, giving her a small hug.


	2. Cracks

**A/N: I've decided to make this a short story instead of a one shot. Including this chapter there will be three in total. It will be done slowly so I can really work on dialogue, scening and other things.**

Rose watched her parents argue for the sixth time in a row over something so trivial and ridiculous she was starting to wonder if someone was bewitching them to act like idiotic teenagers whenever they started to argue. She shook her head slightly, walking out of the kitchen and to the phone. She called her grandmother, tapping the receiver. "Nana Granger?"

" _Hello sweetheart,"_ Hermione's mother heard the voices in the background. " _Want to come over?"_ She guessed, shaking her head as she listened to her daughter and son in-law fighting.

Rose nodded. "If you don't mind. I can get a bus down the road and be there in an hour." She heard a glass breaking, closing her eyes. "I'll bring Hugo with me too then…"

Hermione's mother held the receiver to her hand for a moment. " _You're grandfather's coming to collect the four of you."_ She said after a moment. " _Bloody idiot she married…"_ She mumbled.

"I can still hear you." Rose said softly, laughing weakly.

" _Crap. Ignore that then, sweetheart."_ Hermione's mother ended the call after a moment.

Rose went to her room, packing a couple of tops and jeans. She glanced over at the dress she reserved for fancy occasions. Her grandparents were notorious for hosting parties and she had been caught out the last time when she wore just a weird sisters top and jeans. She knew she should've called Harry, but it didn't seem fair to unload all of her problems to the man she's only known for a month.

Once all of her things were packed into her weekend bag, she did the same for Hugo, telling him that they were going to their grandparents for a weekend. She helped him pick out some of his favourite pyjamas and cuddly toys, placing them in his backpack. She sat in his room with him, distracting him from the noises downstairs until she heard the horn of her grandfather's SVU. She walked down with him, opening the door. "Mum, Dad. Granddad Granger's here!"

Hermione wiped her eyes, frowning a little. Why was her father outside? She walked out, seeing Rose and Hugo with packed bags and smiles on their faces. She noticed her father ushering her over. "Dad. What are you doing here?"

"Your mother heard you and Ronnie boy arguing when Rosie called. So we want to talk to you and Ron." His tone of voice reminded her of when she was in trouble as a child. Of course her father never warmed up to Ron at all. Her husband never really embraced the muggle world as much as she did to the wizarding world.

"I'll get my bag." Hermione whispered, making her way into the house. After five minutes she walked out with Ron in tow. The drive to her parents' house was long and awkward for her. She can't believe she had argued with Ron again. It seemed all they did the last few weeks was argue about something or another. She listened to some crappy pop song on the radio, just trying not to think about the bollocking her mother was about to give her. ' _Thirty-six years old and my mother can still tear me apart.'_ She thought to herself, moving her head along to the song to act relaxed. ' _How the hell do kids listen to this shite?'_

Hugo cuddled into her a little, which allowed her a chance to just relax with her infant son. At least she had five more years until Hugo had to go to Hogwarts. She kissed his forehead, glancing over at Rose. She was starting to realise that her daughter was more Potter than Granger, not that she really cared. Rose had always had a bit of a rebellious streak when it came to school. She was never studious, which was odd considering her sorting into Ravenclaw. Quidditch and fun were her daughter's idea of a good time. She couldn't blame her though, she was young. Having fun was supposed to be all she did.

Once the car stopped, Rose practically sprinted towards the house. It was no secret to Hermione that her daughter preferred her mother to Ron's. Mostly it was because her mother was a bit more modern with her fashion choices and thinking. Hermione smiled as her mother and daughter began chatting happily about different things. She walked into the house with Hugo, noticing Ron was sort of dragging his feet.

As soon as they were all comfortable, her mother placed a DVD of a child's movie on for Hugo while the adults and Rose spoke. "What's with the fighting?" Elizabeth Granger eventually asked.

Ron frowned. "It's nothing. Couples fight all the time." He pointed out, keeping his arms crossed.

Hermione sighed. "Harry wants to bring Rose with him next month to a competition he's entering in Italy. It'd only be for a week, but Ron thinks it's a bad idea." She explained, taking a sip of her tea.

Rose glanced at her mother. "All of this is because my birth father wants to spend some time with me?!" She asked angrily. "It's one bloody week!"

"Language!" Elizabeth Granger scolded her granddaughter. "But she's right. It's one week in a different country. And Harry's got a right to spend time with his daughter, Ronald."

Ron sighed. "I know he does, but he's only known her a month. I don't think she should be going to another country with a man she's only seen a few times."

"He's her damn father!" Alexander Granger snapped. "Her FATHER. Now listen, you and Hermione have raised her to be an amazing young lady, but she has a right to spend time with her birth father, Ron. Besides, he was your friend for years."

Hermione looked down. "We're still having problems being around him for a long time." She admitted. "There's still a lot of tension between the three of us. I know he's technically forgiven us, but I can tell he still wants to murder Ron." She avoided her daughter's eyes.

Rose sighed. "I won't go then." She said simply. "If it's causing so many problems between the two of you, I won't bloody go." She walked out of the room.

Alexander frowned. "It's not fair on her, Hermione. Now, you came to us last month and promised that this changed nothing. You told us that Harry being around would be as normal as it used to be, but we all know now that is bullshite!" He looked to Ron. "I know it must be killing you, Ron, but Harry has as much right to be around his daughter as you do. Is he asking you to pay for anything?"

Hermione shook her head. "He's offering to pay for everything she needs. He said he's noticed Rose's love of food, and wanted her to experience a professional cooking competition." She didn't look at Ron. "He told me in confidence that he just wanted to spend some time with her without us around, to see if he could handle being a parent. He just wanted to see what it was like to feel like a parent." She wiped her eyes. "She's going." She said sternly.

"Hermione-" Ron started.

"NO! My daughter is spending a week with her father. And if you have a problem with that, tough!" Hermione snapped. "She deserves to have some fun this summer. Merlin knows it hasn't been an easy one for her." Ron kept his mouth shut, frowning at her.

Elizabeth left the room to head up to her granddaughter. She made her way to the guest room, smiling sadly at Rose. The girl was just playing with a pen on the desk, staring out the window. "You ok, sweetheart?" She asked softly, sitting on the bed.

Rose sighed a little, turning to her grandmother. "I'm just sick of the fighting. Harry's done nothing but try and know me, but Dad just keeps arguing whenever Mum lets him get closer." She frowned. "It's not fair. I mean, Harry's had the shittest life possible. His wife died with his unborn child. His best friend slept with his girlfriend. His godson sided with Mum. Most of his friends sided with Mum, even though she and Dad were at fault…" She chuckled bitterly. "I don't know why he's so nice about things."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I remember the first time I properly met your father. Harry that is. It was two months after that blasted war ended." She pat the spot beside her. "Your grandfather and I were in Australia, with no bloody memories of who we were. Next thing I know, I got all them back at once when I saw my little girl. Her boyfriend was standing beside her, gulping slightly once your grandfather gave him the evil eye." She smiled. "He was always so polite and courteous, not like Ron. Your grandfather and I couldn't believe it when your mother told us the relationship had ended. When we found out what had happened…we ended up not talking to her for a few weeks."

Rose wiped her eyes. "I can understand why. Harry told me that when he found her and Dad together, he just walked away. He said that he'd forgiven Dad too much, and that he had to leave, before he'd end up in prison." She rested her head on her grandmother's shoulder. "Why can't they just get along?" She asked softly.

Elizabeth smiled sadly. "Your mother once told me that Harry and Ron had a complicated friendship at times. It came to blows when he abandoned your mother and Harry during some mission from Dumbledore. He chose to return to his mother while your parents worked on defeating Voldemort." She said softly, wrapping her arm around her granddaughter. "Harry came to this house soon after the break up. He came to visit my mother." She wiped her eye. "He gave her a hug and told her that her coddle was the best thing he'd ever eaten, then the two just discussed the break up. He never insulted your mum once, even though she was as guilty as Ron. It broke her heart to watch her granddaughter leave such a caring man. It broke mine too. In all honesty, I still hope once in a while that she'd get wise and leave that prick."

Rose frowned. "Really?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Sweetheart, that man refuses to learn anything about our world. You've always had a foot in each world, something your mother insisted on early in your life. He wanted you raised exclusively in his world, like he was." She explained. "Every time I saw you as a baby, it broke my heart that he was doing what Harry should've been doing. Especially when I used to see him and Teddy…he loved that boy so much." She whispered softly. "I know she won't end things. It wouldn't be fair on you, or Hugo." She played with her hair a little. "But, a small part of me still wishes she did."

Rose looked at the window. "It would've been nice, having Harry around more." She admitted. She knew she could've referred to him as Dad, but she was worried it would just cause more fighting. She wiped her eyes. "I heard Mum…but I can't go if it just causes so much fighting."

"Yes, you can." Elizabeth nodded. "Italy is a beautiful place, and your mother travelled a helluva lot more when she was your age. It's always annoyed me that you and Hugo haven't experienced the world outside England." She wiped her granddaughter's eyes. "It's your job to have fun and enjoy a new country. Just, stay away from the cute boys." She warned her with a wink.

Rose laughed softly. "Not a problem, granny." She smiled.

 **0o0o0**

Harry drove up to Hermione's house, honking the horn. He couldn't believe that Hermione had changed her mind on the idea of letting Rose go with him for the week. He smiled widely at the idea of heading to another country with his daughter. A little family holiday to lift his spirits. He opened the door, walking out for a moment. He watched as Hermione walked ahead of Rose. "What's up, Mione?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the nickname. "Hermione." She correct him, handing him an envelope. "There's €900 for her for the week." She explained, smiling at him. "I hope the two of you enjoy the week."

Harry smiled a little. "I've enough cash for the two of us." He said softly. "I told you, this is an all expense paid trip holiday for her." He handed her the envelope back. He watched Rose walk out. "Hey sweetheart, all set for the flight?"

Rose nodded, fixing her passport into her travel bag. She kissed her mother's cheek, heading into the car with him. "So, what kind of competition are you entered in?" She asked curiously.

"The 88th world culinary competition." Harry explained. "There's a load of different categories. I'm just entering 'Best Sauce', 'Best BBQ' and 'Best Dessert'. There are tons of other things we can watch if you want." He began driving them to the airport. "Rome's lovely this time of year."

Rose observed him carefully. "You've been drinking, haven't you?" She asked curiously. The one thing she didn't approve of was Harry's drinking problem, though she completely understood where it came from.

"Not for a week. There's no way in hell I'd drive drunk with you in the car." Harry said passionately. "My daughter's safety is more important than any alcohol!" He kept his eyes on the road. "I just haven't shaved in a few days. I've been working on desserts for the competition."

Rose smiled at him. "What dessert did you decide on?" She asked softly, turning the radio on.

"Well I was going to do a pavlova, then it turned into different things." Harry admitted. "So, I'm entering a dessert pizza. It's some new fad in some of the best Italian Pizzerias." He stopped the car at the airport. "How'd Hugo take it?" He asked softly.

"He got worried I wasn't coming back." Rose sighed. "His fears were once irrational, but lately I can understand why he's having them. Mum and Ron just keep arguing."

"Ron? What happened to Dad?" Harry asked, carrying her bag on his shoulder.

"He's starting to become childish." Rose shrugged. In truth, her relationship with Ron had all but completely disintegrated. He had shown nothing but contempt for Harry spending anytime with her whatsoever. She didn't enjoy the way he started arguing with her and her mother. Her mother had been supportive of all Ron's failed endeavours. Rose never told Harry, but she remembered the rough financial spell her mother and Ron experienced when she was younger. Ron just went from crappy Quidditch job to crappy Quidditch job until her uncle gave him a job in the Joke shop. "I think Mum's going to leave him."

Harry snorted. "Good luck to her." He said simply. "If they had a magical ceremony, there's a twenty year minimum period before separation or divorce can occur." He held the door for her, bringing them to the check-in desk. After a few minutes and a smile from the woman behind the desk, they were ushered into a private area.

"This is a First Class lounge." Rose realised, staring around. "Why are we flying First Class?"

Harry chuckled. "I've sixteen years of birthdays to compensate for. So, after my two day competition, I'm spoiling my only daughter." He grinned.

Rose stared at him. Her parents weren't exactly broke, but they didn't have excess wealth to blow. "Harry, you don't have to do that…" She said, suddenly feeling extremely self conscious. She messed with her sleeve nervously.

Harry frowned. "Look, this isn't about buying affection or showing off to your Mum and Ron." He said softly, taking her hand in his. "This is me being who I am. Ask your Mum sometime, I had a habit of spoiling the people in my life." He explained. "It comes down to my childhood. I had fuck all, sweetheart…so I tend to spend as much as I can on my family."

Rose rested her head on his shoulder, sighing a little. "Ok. But I'm giving you a spending limit of €500." She said sternly.

Harry gulped. "That limit has been passed twice by now." He chuckled weakly. "Between flights and accommodations." He gave her one of his cheeky grins.

Rose felt her eye twitch slightly. "Twice?" She asked incredulously. "What hotel are we staying in?"

Harry smiled. "It's a Villa actually. A friend of mine loaned it to us for the week at a good rate."

Rose sighed a little, resting her head on his shoulder. "As long as you don't spend too much…" She said softly. She didn't like the way she was starting to feel around him. Harry was the opposite of her parents. While they often had to scrimp and save for things, he had lived alone and owned his own business, meaning he probably had more disposable income. "Merlin, I sound like my mother."

Harry chuckled. "Sounds like your mother alright." He grinned. "I remember when we were dating. We went to some weird concert thing she wanted to go to. I spoiled her the whole week. Even got my tattoo that week."

Rose frowned. "You haven't got a tattoo." She pointed out.

Harry smirked. He removed his jacket, revealing his two arms. "The left is all weird shite I've gotten on trips around the world." He explained, rotating his arm. "Most have something to do with that place."

"What's the lips for?" She asked, pointing at one near his shoulder.

Harry got a silly grin on his face. "That was a music festival in Rio, '02." He ordered two orange juices. "Those lips belonged to Leslie." He ran his hand over the tattoo. "We met that week, and I knew it was meant to be."

"How?" Rose asked, smiling at his expression. She had heard loads about her deceased stepmother, and only wished she had a chance to meet her.

"I was drunk, like really, really drunk. It had been a stressful few months since we were working on opening the restaurant. Next thing I know, someone passes me a jaeger bomb and we get bloody drunk." Harry smiled. "I wake up with some random blonde woman, her lips tattooed on my shoulder." He sipped his orange juice. "As for Leslie, she wakes up on my chest, with my handprint on her bum."

Rose spit out her drink. "Shut up!" She laughed.

He nodded. "Yep. After that, we got talking. She was trained in the same place I was. She graduated the year I entered." He smirked. "When I open Lily's Dream, she was the first one to actually critique my food. We started dating a week after that. Married a year after…and I lost her nine months after that." He finished his orange juice. "I promise, I'm not drinking this week." He wrapped his arm around her. "This week is all about my little princess."

Rose smiled at him. "Then let's make it a good one."

 **0o0o0**

Rose groaned as she finished the last piece of cake. "I am never leaving this country." She declared, holding her stomach. "How do you do this every year and not look like Hagrid?"

Harry laughed, finishing the slice. "I run five miles every morning." He explained, taking out his pen. The taste was definitely a nine, but the look was a three. The contestant wasn't the best at plating her dessert, the cream was placed badly and there was crumbs everywhere. "What do you think? Five out of ten?"

"Six." Rose shrugged. "Display is horrendous, but the taste and balance of the dish is perfect." She took a sip of her water. "What's up next?"

"Mine…" Harry felt a little nervous. "This one is going to the five judges directly. Last year I came in third." He explained, rubbing his hand.

" _Now, entry #261: Mississippi Mud Pie Pizza, by Harry Potter."_ The announcer called out, showing Harry's entry to the five judges. " _This is Mr. Potter's fifth time to this competition, and his third dessert entry. Now, Mr. Potter will take the stage to explain his dessert."_

Harry stood up, slicing up the dessert. "So, we've a thin chocolate cake base, which was then placed with a strawberry cream 'marinara' layer. Then we have it topped with crumbled chocolate cookie pieces and whipped cream." He explained, handing a slice to each judge. He passed a slice to his daughter, smiling as the judges began to eat. After a painfully long ten minutes, he watched the first judge clear their throat.

"What sort of chocolate was used for the base?" She asked politely, fixing her glasses onto the bridge of her nose.

"80% dark chocolate." Harry responded. "That way it didn't sweeten the base too much."

She smiled. "I see." She said softly. "I score the dessert a nine."

The second judge nodded. "Mine will be a six. I found it too rich for a dessert."

The third judge wiped his mouth. "I score it a ten." He said simply. "It's a nice blend of dessert and a cheeky dinner item."

The fourth judge took a sip of water. "Nine." Was all he said.

The fifth judge smiled. "Ten." She said neutrally.

" _Mr. Potter scores 44 out of 50, placing him in the lead at the moment."_ The announcer called out.

Harry smiled, bowing his head to the judges before heading to Rose. "That went better than expected." He grinned, robbing a piece of her slice. "She was right, too rich." He frowned slightly.

Rose slapped his hand away. "I demand this once a month." She warned him, smiling widely. "Honestly, Harry, this is amazing." She said softly.

Harry chuckled, poking her nose. "You should have tried my champagne cheesecake last year, that should've won."

Rose finished the slice. "So, what's the deal with you and Ron?" She finally asked. "What happened between you?"

Harry smirked. "Took you long enough to ask." He stared out at the sea for a moment. "During our mission to end the war, your mother, Ron and I were in a tent, with an object that was manipulating our thoughts. It filled your mother's head with awful thoughts about me. As for Ron, it played on every insecurity he had. He left." He said softly. "And when he did, your mum and I moved closer to each other." He smiled softly. "We fell in love, while I lost all trust in Ron. When he returned, I saw your mother's worries about him fade, so I let him stay with us."

Rose smiled sadly. "Do you think they were in love back then? That it was just one sick joke to piss you off?"

Harry shrugged. "Probably." He gently kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about the past, all that matters is now. Besides, if they hadn't fallen in love, you wouldn't have Hugo as a brother."

Rose gave him an inquisitive look. "Why are you so understanding about all of this? They're fighting, Nana Granger still wants Mum to leave him for you. Everyone else is watching their marriage collapse, and you're sitting here like there's nothing wrong."

Harry smirked a little. "I suppose I knew it would happen. It's the reason your mother contacted me." He said softly. "I followed the magical world closely, Rosie. I know about the Quidditch failures. Hell, Molly was forever moaning about the fact he couldn't support you and your Mum. I knew the day she approached me in the cafe, she wanted me to save the day for her."

"And is that what you're doing?" Rose asked, frowning.

"No." Harry replied softly. "I lost too much back then." He poked her nose gently. "I can't bail her out if all she's doing is acting destructive. Neither her, or Ron is thinking about how all this is affecting Hugo."

Rose thought for a moment. "Why are you thinking about Hugo?" She asked softly. "I mean, he's nothing to you. Hell, he should be the epitome of what they did to you."

Harry smiled sadly. "That's where you're wrong, he's the reason I haven't tried to destroy their marriage. When I met your mother, I had every plan to fuck shit up." He admitted, chuckling weakly. "Then, I saw that picture. You and Hugo, two happy children…and then I knew, I couldn't be the reason this boy lost his family." He sipped his orange juice, staring into her eyes. "Your mum will sort things out, even if it means I have to back off a little."

Rose frowned. "But that's not fair on you…" She couldn't understand how he could just allow people to do things like that to him. It was times like this when Rose understood why he drank as much as he did. He didn't do it to forget all the pain he had experienced in his life, it was to numb the pain he put himself through by putting others first. "Honestly, a part of me wants them to divorce."

Harry sighed. "I can understand that." He chuckled weakly. "Sweetheart, I love you. I truly do." He held her hand. "But, I can't see that happening. Even if they did divorce, I can't see myself being with Hermione. That trust, it's gone."

"I know…" Rose hugged him, smiling a little. "But thanks for letting me vent it to you."

"It's in the job description." Harry kissed her forehead.


	3. Baby Steps

Harry groaned as he got out of bed, heading towards the window. If there was one thing he wished, it was that the magical world would just bloody switch to phones. He threw the owl some treats, watching it fly off. He yawned as he opened the letter, scanning the contents. It was just the usual crap from Kingsley, asking him to return to their world for the millionth time. He didn't bother writing replies anymore. Whatever contact he kept with that world was on his terms. And his terms was fuck everyone except Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley and Rose.

He went to the bathroom, grabbing his razor to remove the stubble that had been plaguing him since his sixteenth birthday. While most his friends could go two days without any stubble, Harry was guaranteed to have it every morning. He wiped the remaining foam from his face once he was done, placing his contacts in.

He went to the kitchen, sighing once he sat down for breakfast. Rose was back in Hogwarts, so he was starting to miss spending weekends with her. The restaurant was officially in the hands of the sous chef he had trained up, so he spent the days just lounging around the house, watching shite tv. He had done all he could with Lily's Dream, and he knew it was in good hands. Naomi was a good chef, and her aunt would've cried watching her reaction to her promotion.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. He made his way to the door, opening it to an upset Hermione. "Hermione? It's 7am, and a Saturday, what are you doing here?"

"Ron and I had a fight…" Hermione stared down at the ground. "We got into a really heated one and he's after telling me to leave…"

Harry frowned. "So, the guy you left me for has kicked you out and you think I'm just going to open my arms and let you cry?" He asked sarcastically.

Hermione sighed. "I just, I didn't know where else to go…" She admitted. "Please, just until ten? My parents should be at work then…"

Harry walked towards the kitchen. "Shut the door. I've eggs and bacon on." He didn't bother looking at her as he talked, instead he focused on the frying pan.

Hermione sat down, running her hands through her hair. She couldn't believe she had come to Harry's of all places. She had to have finally gone mad. Although a small part of her had hoped he'd be sympathetic, she understood his anger completely. For a brief second, she saw the two of them as teenagers again, both trying to understand each other. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking properly when I knocked here…"

Harry plated up some bacon and eggs for her, putting toast on the plate. "It's only til ten, then you're out of here." He put the plate on the table, pouring some coffee.

Hermione gave him a weak smile. "Thank you." She took a sip of the coffee, picking at the food. "I'm a bitch."

Harry scoffed, sitting across from her. "If you're looking for someone to disagree, then you have definitely picked the wrong person." He pointed out, giving her a quick glance. "You're just you. If people can't deal with that, it's their problem."

Hermione chuckled. "How do you always know what to say?"

"Years of training staff and helping them with confidence issues." Harry shrugged, taking a bite of his eggs. "Needs salt."

Hermione glanced around the kitchen. "I like that picture." She smiled, noticing the picture of Harry and Rose from Italy. "She told me you sent her a dessert pizza to Hogwarts. All her friends were begging for a slice."

Harry smiled. "She said she wanted them once a month, so I promised her two a month when she's at school." His sadness slowly crept back in. "That's the first picture I have of us together. I miss her being here on weekends…"

Hermione watched him. "She came back from Italy a lot happier than when she left. I don't know what you said to her, but she had definitely let go of whatever weight was on her shoulders."

Harry looked at her. "She was stressed about you and Ron, worried about how much of a toll it was taking on Hugo and worried that the two of you were splitting up." He replied bluntly. "She's too young to be worried about shit like that, especially when her mother is supposed to be an intelligent witch."

Hermione frowned. "She was carrying that much..?"

"Yes!" Harry snapped. He felt his anger bubble to the top. "And while you and Ron were acting like a couple of teenagers, my daughter was comforting her younger brother, who was terrified from the fighting." It was like something had finally snapped within Harry's mind, like he couldn't let her drown in pity when she was responsible for a lot of her own problems. "You see, you and Ron have always been selfish pricks when it came to things like that. Your seven year old son has been bedwetting because of it. He wakes up to glass shattering from your fights. And how do I know this? Rose tells me things, Hermione. The poor girl had to shower and change him more than anything in August. So tell me, why the fuck wouldn't the girl be happier when she came back? She had a glorious week away from the constant mental strain of you and Ron."

Hermione stared at him in shock. Had she been that bad? She felt fresh tears come to her eyes as she thought about the fights she had with Ron. She couldn't look Harry in the eye. Her heart broke as she thought about her daughter's summer. "I'm a horrible mother…"

Harry bit the inside of his cheek. "No, you're not. But you've let this crap with Ron hurt Rosie." He calmed himself down a little. "Look, no matter what Ron may think, I'm not trying to get you back." He said softly. "In all honesty, Mione, I can't trust you anymore."

Hermione wiped her eyes. "You can't trust me? After all this time?"

Harry stared at her. "I don't care about you cheating on me, that crap is ancient history, but hiding Rose from me, that was low." He frowned. "And don't give me that 'I was scared you'd hate me' crap. You didn't want Ron being pissed off." He finished his food. "You were worried that he'd dump your ass, and then you'd be alone. You put him before your daughter."

Hermione's eyes watered up. "Honestly, you're right." She whispered. "When I saw her, I knew she was a Potter. I knew she was your child." She smiled sadly. "And I was so happy. I had a daughter… _we_ had a daughter. But then I saw Ron's eyes, and I knew I couldn't tell you. You hated me, Harry. I didn't want to be alone in raising Rosie…"

Harry shook his head. "Even if I did hate you back then, I would've been there for you. Not the way he was, but I would've been there for my family. But you chose to keep me in the dark." He felt his own tears starting to form. "And now, I don't feel like her father. I'm just the fucking glorified sperm donor… _he_ got to be her dad…I didn't."

Hermione closed her eyes, trying not to burst out in fresh tears. All she could hear was the pain in his voice, just like when Sirius died. Just like the day Remus and Tonks died.

"And that's why I can't trust you. You let him take the only thing I ever wanted from me…a family. And while you had two kids and a happy life, I lost my daughter and I lost a wife, an unborn child…all my friends and my fucking godson to you and him. They all took your side, everyone except Rose." Harry frowned. "And all I've had is bitter memories and alcohol to keep me company. So don't come crying to me that your life is fucked. The only one fucking your life up is YOU!"

Hermione stood up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here…" She walked out of the house, disapparating away.

 **0o0o0**

Elizabeth opened the door to her crying daughter, bringing her inside. After two cups of coffee and a box of tissues she had finally gotten the story out of her. She stared at her daughter in shock once she finished. "First off, are you dense?" She asked softly. "You went to your ex for sympathy?"

Hermione sighed. "I didn't know what else to do, it was like instinct…go to Harry when you need him."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I swear to god, sometimes I think you received brain damage when you married Ron." She rubbed her forehead. "Sweetheart, what Harry told you is the truth. You and Ron have been selfish in regards to your children's feelings." She poured two cups of tea. "Harry has been in every letter Rose wrote me this month. The way he acts, sending her desserts…I'm starting to see what her life could've been like, and it makes me wish that I had one of those Time-Turners you used to own."

Hermione took a small sip of her tea. "Did you hate Ron that much..?" She asked softly.

"Honestly, I did. I still do." Elizabeth sighed. "Sweetheart, you were the best thing to happen to your dad and I. For as long as you've been alive I've wished nothing but the best for you, but…I was disappointed when you left Harry. Here was this amazingly gentle young man who cared about you more than he did life itself." She held her daughter's hand. "And you leave him for someone who has argued with every decision you've made in life." She chuckled weakly, playing with her daughter's engagement ring. "Harry came here the day before you broke up, asking your dad for your hand in marriage." She whispered. "He teared up, hugged Harry and welcomed him to the family…even called him son."

Hermione frowned. "Really?" She asked sadly. "He came here to ask for Daddy's blessing..?" She knew her father had wanted a son, though he never loved her any less. The thought of her father welcoming him to the family just made the pain worse. "I need to talk to him properly one of these days…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Your days of talking to Harry about things like that are gone, sadly." She finished her tea. "He's right you know, about trust. What happened between you and Ron, hiding Rose from him, I can understand how he feels. You shattered any form of trust that could be held."

"Why does everyone take his side in this..?" Hermione asked sadly. She knew the pain he caused him. Hell, she hated herself for it, but why did everyone have to side against her? She had been young and stupid.

"Because no one did!" Elizabeth sighed. "Hermione, you and Ron had people who supported you. Who supported Harry? No one. He is bitter because of that, and rightly so."

Hermione closed her eyes. "I suppose everyone forgets that…Harry lost everyone in the war. There was no one for him to confide in properly."

Elizabeth nodded. "Exactly!" She finished her coffee, putting the cup on the table. "Harry was the perfect gentlemen, Mione. And for years I've tried to rationalise your reasons for choosing Ron over him. Then I remembered the old saying; love is blind. Except in your case, it's blind, deaf, mute and an idiot!"

 **0o0o0**

While Hermione spoke to her mother about everything in the past, Harry made his way towards Diagon Alley. He hadn't stood foot in the area in close to eighteen years, but he knew he had to do this one thing. He walked into Weasley's Wizards Wheezes, seeing Ron behind the counter. "I need to talk to you." He said roughly.

Ron frowned. "I'm working." He replied, ringing up the customer. "Did Hermione tell you to come here?"

"No." Harry shook his head, sighing to himself. "I wanted to do this privately, but ok." He grabbed Ron's shirt, pushing him into the backroom. "I've gotta ask. Were you dropped on your head or have you always been this stupid?" He asked, tossing him into one of the shelves. "You got Hermione, two kids and a good life. But you're throwing it away out of some form of stupid jealousy."

Ron stood up, throwing a punch towards him. "Fuck you! We both know she wants you more than she wants me."

Harry caught his wrist, twisting it behind his back. "I do not want your wife." He spoke angrily. "I cannot trust her. I can't." He released Ron's wrist. "You were my best fucking friend. The brother I never had…" He frowned. "And you stabbed me in the fucking back, Ron…"

Ron rubbed his wrist. "It wasn't supposed to be like that…" He sighed, sitting on the floor. "In all honesty, it wasn't. We got talking one night and things happened. She was scared, Harry. Scared that things were moving too fast." He closed his eyes. "I didn't mean to sleep with her, but it was just two teenagers being stupid." He ran a hand through his hair. "I still regret that day, Harry. The look of pain on your face, it broke my heart, Mione's too…"

Harry shook his head. "And yet you're still actively trying to end your marriage." He chuckled weakly. "Fix your marriage, Ron. I don't care about your wife. I don't care about you. In all honesty, if the two of you died tomorrow I wouldn't shed a tear. I just want my daughter to be happy." He fixed his shirt.

"Wait," Ron frowned at him. "Why do you care about my marriage..?" He asked. "Honestly, what the hell does it have to do with you, Harry? Do you take joy in watching it fall apart?"

"Honestly? Yes." Harry smirked. He let out a bitter laugh. "But I can't stand seeing Rose upset. And the one thing that's really upsetting Rose, it's how this is affecting Hugo. Your son is the victim in all of this, and neither of you can realise that Hugo is upset. Where is he now by the way? Since you kicked his mother out?"

Ron sighed. "With Mum…" He felt tears come to his eyes. "I…twenty-six years of knowing you, and you still put Mione and I ahead of everything else…" He chuckled weakly. "I'll make things right, Harry. Thank you…"

Harry frowned. "I'm not doing this for your gratitude." He said angrily. "I'm doing this because I don't want my daughter worrying about everything." He shook his head. "You and Hermione, you deserve each other in that regard. All you've ever thought about was yourselves…"

Ron looked at him. "I suppose it's too much to expect you to forgive us…"

Harry shook his head. "Forgiveness isn't something I can give anymore, Ron. I hope you and Mione make it work, just for your child's sake, and for my child's sake. But don't think that means I'm going to just forgive you both for keeping my daughter from me. Especially you, Ron. The one who saw everything I went through first hand, and you still stabbed me in the heart."

Ron closed his eyes. "I just…I want to…" He shook his head. "I don't deserve all this. For years, I fucked up and tried to be selfish, and it wasn't until Hermione threatened to leave me that I finally pulled my head from my arse."

"And yet you throw her away." Harry sighed. "Ron, for your sake, fix it." He said softly. "I lost my wife. I don't get to spend time with her anymore. We didn't get to start our family. Our crib didn't have a happy baby in it…" He played with his wedding ring. "I can never hear her voice again. Don't lose that. Don't throw away Hermione."

Ron nodded, standing up. "Harry, I know this means fuck all to you, but I do wish things could go back to the way they were."

"I don't." Harry said softly. "Life taught me a lot of things, Ron." He stood up, dusting his trousers out. "The life I've lived, it's allowed me to learn a lot of things. One of those things was that life is cruel. Rose has become the only light in my life now, and I'm trying to do this for her sake, not for yours."

Ron watched his old friend leave, heading back to the register.

 **0o0o0**

Rose didn't know what to expect when she got off the train for her Christmas holidays. Her mother had told her that she and Ron were going to marriage counselling, and that they both started to realise the effects their arguments were having on both her and Hugo in the last few months. She was happy to hear that they were working things out, but things that were written sounded false to her. She had a feeling that Harry had a hand in doing all this, which would be something he'd do. What worried her about that was the lack of communication she'd had with Harry for the last few weeks. His letters had become slightly dulled, almost like he was trying not to tell her something.

She grabbed her trunk, walking through the platform. She stopped as she saw Teddy standing there with a grin on his face. "You ready, Potter?" He asked curiously.

Rose nodded. "Why are you here?"

"Your Mum and Dad are at one of their counselling sessions. So I told them I'd pick you up." He grinned. "Now come on, my car is double parked." He warned.

Rose smiled, walking out with her. She put the trunk in his car, noticing the scratches. "You've been racing again, haven't you?"

Teddy shook his head. "Worse, I'm teaching Victorie to drive." He pulled a face. "Now, get in."

Rose put her seatbelt on, turning to him. "Have you spoken to Harry?"

"No." Teddy sighed. "At this point, I have no clue what to say." He admitted, gripping the steering wheel. "I'm scared, Rosie. I turned my back on him because I thought he didn't want to know you. I let teenage stupidity fuck me over."

"Just like Mum and Ron did." Rose chuckled softly. "It's a running theme with people and Harry. As for you, all you'd have to do is come with me on Christmas Day, he'd be delighted to see you."

Teddy shrugged. "I'll think about it." He sighed. "Besides, I think I've said somethings that can't be taken back."

Rose nudged his arm. "He loves you, we both know he'd forgive you."

Teddy smiled, turning the corner. "And when did you stop calling Ron 'dad'?"

"When he started acting like a fool." Rose shrugged. "I don't feel comfortable around the two of them. I just hope they're working on it a lot more than they said they are."

"You seriously need to stop taking all this shit on your shoulders, Rosie." Teddy said, turning the radio on. "You're sixteen years old, all you should worry about is relationships and homework."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm not in a relationship, Teddy. I told you that last month. I'm focusing on my studies."

"I know, I know. Your Mum told you to work on the grades a little. Failing one O.W.L doesn't mean you have to drop all parts of a social life, kiddo. You have to have some fun as well." Teddy said seriously. "You'll have plenty of time to worry about real life when you're my age."

"You're only two years older than me!" Rose sighed.

"I'm also two years wiser than you." Teddy chuckled, stopping the car for a moment. "I can't believe I'm on chauffeur duty twice today." He shook his head.

"Twice?" Rose asked.

"I spent the morning driving Victoire and her mum around." Teddy rolled his eyes. "I'm telling you, since she learnt to apparate, I never get a chance to relax. She was at my flat by 9:30."

Rose smirked. "That's what you get for falling in love." She teased.

Teddy whistled as he flipped her off, stopping the car for the final time. "Here we are." He opened the door for her. "Casa de Weasley."

Rose smiled. "Thanks Teddy." She hugged him. "See you soon?"

"Of course." Teddy smiled. He helped her bring her stuff in, fixing her trunk onto her bed. "Well, they should be back soon. Want some company while you wait?"

"I'll be fine." Rose shook her head. "I promised Nana Granger I'd call her the second I got home to have a catch up chat."

Teddy nodded, giving her a final hug before he left. He got into the car, driving away from the house.

Rose ran towards the phone, dialing the one number she knew she had to call before all others. "Harry?" She held the phone on her shoulder for a second. "When did all this marriage counselling stuff happen?" She asked politely.

Harry smiled through the receiver. " _When your mother ended up outside my door a few months back. She and I had an argument, then Ron and I had an argument, and then things got a little better."_

Rose frowned a little. "Ok, so why did Mum go to you?" She asked, walking to the backyard. "Not that I'm upset about things, I'm just wondering why would you intervene after everything they did to you?"

Harry sighed a little, standing in his own garden. " _In all honesty, Rosie? I did it for you."_ He said softly. " _You were so upset about things that I knew I had to do something to make things better. Your mother loves you, and Hugo, so does Ron. They just needed someone to kick their arses for them."_ He chuckled a little. " _I know the last few months were hard on you, and that it had a bit of an effect on your grades, so I hope this will let you relax a little more."_

Rose sat down on one of the patio chairs, feeling the cold air on her cheeks. "You really are something else, Harry." She smiled a little, looking around the garden. "What are your plans for Christmas morning?"

" _Nothing."_ Harry admitted. " _I'm not much of a Christmas guy the last few years. Why?"_

"Well Nana Weasley's having a big get together at the Burrow. It'd be nice for you to be there." Rose whispered, playing with the hem of her shirt.

Harry thought about what she said for a moment. He hadn't spent a Christmas at the Burrow in years. Not since he and Hermione had dated. He rubbed his forehead. " _Ok. Just let me know when I'm supposed to be there."_ He could already feel the tension start in his head.

Rose smiled. "7am."

" _I'll be there."_ Harry promised her, staring at himself in the mirror. What the fuck had he just agreed to?

 **0o0o0**

Rose groaned as one of her younger cousins woke her up at the crack of dawn. While she enjoyed Christmases at the Burrow, she also enjoyed sleeping for more than six hours. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, staring at two of her cousins. "Go!" She warned them, standing up. She made her way to the bathroom, which was thankfully devoid of people at the moment. She didn't know how her grandparents coped with having the entire Weasley clan under one roof at the holidays. She knew there was some room sharing going on with certain individuals, and that just made her laugh.

She showered for the day and brushed her teeth, fixing her clothes on for the day. Her mum had helped her pick out some clothes for the day. It was a tradition from her mother's side of the family, mostly her great-grandmother. She fixed the top and cardigan over her shoulders, putting the matching skirt on. She fixed her hair into a simple braid, which was immensely more challenging when done by only one person. She checked her watch, noticing that her father was due to arrive within twenty minutes. A small smile appeared on her face as she thought of what was going to happen today.

She walked to the room most the boys were sleeping in, jumping on Teddy's bed. "Wake up sleepy! IT'S CHRISTMASSSSSSSS!"

Teddy jolted up, staring at the blob in front of him. "What? Who's there?" He yawned, wiping his eyes. "Rose?" He turned his head. "It's 6:45!" He groaned, pulling the covers over his head.

"Get up!" She pulled the covers away from him, pulling him by the arm. "Harry's coming at seven, so you need to look presentable." She whispered, leading him out of the room.

Teddy stopped once they reached the bathroom. "H-Harry's coming..?" He asked, his hair going to a limp brown. He glared at her for a second, trying to think of something to say. "Does everyone know he's coming?"

"Only you, me, and Nana Molly." Rose opened the door. "Now get ready!" She ordered him, pointing at the shower.

"Yes Mum." He replied sarcastically, closing the door behind her. "I'm going to eventually kill her." He mused to himself, getting into the shower. He thought about the argument he and Harry had the day he walked out of his godfather's life. He had said things that he had no right to say, especially about the way Harry handled his life.

He dried himself off, staring at his eyes for a moment. He had no real eye colour, nor a hair colour, but for as long as he could remember, he kept his eyes in a soft shade of green. He smiled sadly for a moment, fixing his hair to its usual blue hue. He dressed in his bomber jacket and jeans, heading down to the kitchen. He didn't check the time before going however, and found himself hearing a familiar voice.

"Still trying to dress like a rebel?" Harry asked, his voice tickled with humour.

Teddy turned around, his hair once again falling back to its limp brown state. "H-Harry." He stuttered out, gripping the counter for support. He noticed that his godfather looked a lot better than he used to, especially with regards to his eyes. They were full of life once again.

"That's my name." Harry nodded, smirking a little at his godson. "Limp brown. Expecting to be grounded, Edward?" He asked, his tone turning into a false sternness. He hadn't seen his godson act like that in years, though he also hadn't seen his godson in years at this point.

Teddy let out a weak chuckle, allowing his hair to return to the blue hue. "You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you." He finally managed to say after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"Thanks." Harry pulled out a chair for him. "I trust you're doing well?" He asked, pouring three cups of coffee. He hadn't seen any other adults, and guessed that his daughter had planned to surprise everyone with his presence. Why did the girl have to be so much like her grandfather, Sirius and Remus?

"I'm doing good." Teddy took a seat, bringing the coffee to his lips for his first bit of caffeine for the day. "How's the restaurant business?"

"I'm retired." Harry said softly, mixing milk into his coffee. "Naomi's after taking over my duties as head chef. I still sit in some nights and act like a host, but that's only when I feel the need."

Teddy nodded, playing with the cup. "I'm in my last year of Auror training." He tried to avoid his eyes. "Shack reckons I might be as good as Mum was…"

Harry watched the young man for a moment, trying not to sigh. He reached his hand over and placed it on Teddy's shoulder. "I'm not angry at you." He whispered, keeping his voice steady. "You were young, Teddy. Believe me when I say that kind of anger is perfectly reasonable." He chuckled weakly. "It's good to see you though." He smiled, running his free hand through his own hair.

Teddy smiled. "It's good to see you too." He whispered, hearing footsteps from above. "The floodgates have opened. They are coming." He turned to Rose. "We should take cover."

Rose rolled her eyes, hearing several pairs of footsteps entering the room. It only took a second for her aunt Fleur to loudly announce the special guest for the day.

"Harry Potter!" She called out, kissing both of his cheeks. "You've gained some experience under those eyes."

Harry chuckled. "And you finally lost the accent."

"Indeed." She smirked, taking a seat near him. "And I see you're speaking to my future son in-law." She eyed Teddy carefully.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Now there's some news I haven't heard." He gave an almost feral grin. "Tell me, my dear Flower, have you caught the two hellians in a moment of passion?"

Fleur caught on to what he was doing. "Nothing too graphic I'm afraid, though judging by the screams of pleasure from the bathroom last night, I would suggest that my daughter will not awake for an hour or two." She watched the young man's hair turn a deep shade of red.

Harry burst out laughing. "Aw, he's so cute when he's all flustered."

Teddy placed his head in his hands. "Why did I agree to come here?" He tried to remind himself, turning his hair to an old school colour of jet black.

"Because my daughter would be here." Fleur smirked.

Harry shook his head. The day had began to progress into one of the best Christmases he had in years. Hermione and Ron had chosen not to ruin his day by speaking to him about anything other than small talk about Rose's grades and other stuff. Molly had knitted him one of her trademark sweaters, and he had in turn given out small gifts to everyone in the room. He spent most the time with Teddy and Rose, laughing with the two of them and teasing his godson over his girlfriend, which was enjoyable. All and all, it was the first step to fix a lot of bridges.

 **A/N: It took a lot for me to pick an ending that I found I liked. Many people hated this story for being 'harsh' to Ron. I don't dislike Ron, I truly don't. I just think he got away with too many betrayals. I hope you liked the ending. I didn't want to bog it down with a cheesy epilogue filled with unrealistic goals from the characters. I wanted it to end as it started, with a lot of work ahead of the characters.**


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